And, switching gears now, some months ago policy makers in Belmopan had discussed the amendment of the misuse of drugs act and that these amendments would be made in accordance with international regulations so as to deter money laundering and other illicit activities. Well, some of the amendments proposed involved an increase in penalties for those charged with drug trafficking and that has defence attorney extraordinaire Dickie Bradley fuming:
Dickie Bradley, Attorney
"Nobody knows that the government sneak through an amendment to the misuse of drugs act where the courts in this country now staffed entirely by foreigners in the Supreme Court Can charge up to a million dollars. This is a very very serious matter. You know why when it comes to Cocaine and those things they can charge up to 50 million dollars and hopefully spend the money on the south side. But when it comes to weed they really did us a low they took advantage of us because once it is on the law trust me a case will come where someone will get it. That's why they passed the law to punish people. A million dollars if you are caught trafficking weed."
"If you have over 60 grams of Marijuana in this country you are a drug trafficker by law. The penalty is ten thousand dollars cash and three years in jail and if you can't pay the ten thousand dollars by the time the court calls you it is an additional three years into your sentence that used to be the minimum that had also changed a progressive government would have said we will make and amendment to the law where it's not 60 grams that makes someone a drug trafficker start at 500 grams."
"60 grams of weed and a person becomes a drug trafficker he can't have his record expunged meaning he won't get a job anywhere or can't go to the states."
"That is so unfair what has been done to people that all the penalties have been increased by whopping amounts and they do not know."
